Interior Renovation and Preservation – Part 1

I recently made this presentation during the Historic Preservation Weekend sponsored by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.  I volunteer with this organization, advising homeowners as they renovate older homes.

I am not sure how I began my love affair with old homes and buildings.  Perhaps one is born with a “historic preservation gene” or maybe it was some of my relatives’ older homes that intrigued me.  Whatever it was, my late husband, Joe and I agreed we wanted an older home.  It was love at first sight and we moved into our home here in Rosslyn Farms on October 1, 1977.

That began a now 33-year restoration effort.  Little did we know what we were getting in to.   I must be a glutton for punishment because twelve years later, I was captivated by a turn-of-the century Victorian commercial building on the South Side and renovated it for my interior design offices.  That project took ten months of non-stop intensive work

It goes without saying that I could write volumes about my experiences.  Renovation is not for the faint of heart.  I always say when I talk with people about my projects “They are a labor of love with the emphasis on labor.”  I think you have to have the wisdom to know what you can do and what you can’t.   Thankfully Joe had expert knowledge of working with wood and could figure lots of things out on his own.  I learned a lot from observation and from my professional contacts.   What we didn’t know we researched, followed the advice of and hired good contractors.

So this month and next, I thought I would share the Top Ten things I have learned, as well as believe in, when renovating the interior of a home.

First, take your time.  Hopefully you look at this as a long-term investment.  As the saying goes “Rome was not built in a day.”   I think it is always best to live in a home for a while before making changes.   This helps you think about how you use the rooms; what works, what doesn’t; where does the sun come into the rooms throughout the year; what are the priorities; what is your realistic budget?  Patience is a real virtue.

Second, get the advice of professionals.   As you move forward, a real master plan is essential.    I think you would be surprised what a wealth of experience you can tap into for a very reasonable design fee, whether it’s an architect, a designer, a landscape architect, a lighting designer or a general contractor.

From my perspective, a professional interior designer will be objective about your home.  They will have a broad knowledge of styles and a clear idea of what works.   “Eclectic” is not always the answer.  They will tap into your personality and taste and style – bringing creative solutions to the space that you never imagined.

Third, set some budget parameters.  Think about things like “How long do I intend to live here?”  “Am I over-improving the house?”  “What return on investment do I need or expect?”  With this knowledge, your consultants can help you set priorities and make your dollars go as far as possible

Fourth, be prepared for the unexpected projects that interject themselves into your plans. When we first moved into our home, we were excited to finally have a real shower after living with only a bathtub for a while.  Two days later, the old mixing valve for the shower broke.  What to do?  We decided to move up the plans to restore the bathroom and purchase new fixtures that looked like the originals.  When I was renovating my office building, the tin ceiling was one of the things that made me fall in love with the space and I wanted to feature it.  But the building inspector wanted me to remove it because it was not one-hour fire rated.  A compromise was reached with fire rated paint.

Fifth, be prepared for the “may as wells.”  You know how it goes. You are into the project and discover that an additional item (or items) should probably be done at the same time.  The results will look better; it will save money in the long run; and prevent having to go to the project at a later date.

More on the topic next month.  But I want to add a personal note of gratitude to our outgoing editor, Chris Simcic, for the fantastic job she has done with “The Last Word.”  I have appreciated her help in getting my articles published every month.  Thanks Chris!